Best Greek island/s to visit in 4-5 days - need help deciding!
 

Hi, I have spent the last couple of days going though the forums on this topic & there are many, but I am still confused! I will be joining my 21 year old daughter in Thessoloniki after her Study Abroad session ends on July 22nd. I will probably be getting there on the 23rd & can either stay there one or 2 nights. That leaves us 4 or 5 days for the Greek islands, from July 24/24 - July 29th.
I had originally decided on Santorini since that was the one I had heard of the most. Since I am trying to do this on a budger, I had even tentatively decided on where we were staying - 2 nights at Hotel Sofia in Firostefani & 2 nights at the Lauda Hotel in Ola..(Any opinions?) We are late starters but tend to stay out later at night, thats why I was splitting the time in Santorini in case Ola is too quiet. We enjoy views but DD also enjoys the beach which is why I am wondering if only Santorini is the right choice. Though maybe she gets enough time at the beach in the month she will be at Thessoloniki!
Should we think about visiting 2 islands in 4-5 days? Flying between islands does add up, not sure if the ferries are much cheaper. Also, if we do 2 or 3 nights in Santorini, which other island should we add? It should be one that is convenient to get to from Santorini & that has different attractions, probably one with great beaches. We will be returning to London so also one that has a good flight connections to London (not Gatwick) or from Thessoloniki if we do the other island first. We have not had a problem moving hotels etc in a couple of days in the past.
Are all the islands fairly safe for two women to be out at night etc? Is any better/worse?
If we do split our time between islands, which town/hotels in Santorini should we stay in? Also, how should we split the 5 days?
Do the ferries need to be booked in advance?
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, I know I can always count on Fodorites!

First, flights between islands usually involves a return to Athens for the connecting flight, which makes these flights doubly-expensive. The ferries provide inexpensive fares between neighboring islands.

Second, with so few days you're better off sticking to one island. Those few days will fly by.

Deciding where you want to stay vs. actually booking your rooms obviously depends on availability. Book your rooms ASAP to be sure you get what you want.

EasyJet offers cheap summertime flights non-stop between Santorini, Rhodes, Mykonos or Crete, and London...IF you can get them, but they use Gatwick.

You will be safe.

If you use the large, conventional car ferries you don't have to book in advance unless you want to book a sleeping cabin for an overnight ferry back to Athens/Piraeus. If you want to book passage on a highspeed ferry it's wise to book in advance.

Why not Gatwick? That is currently the only London airport with direct flights from the islands, as far as I know. If you want to fly to London Heathrow you will have to change planes in Athens, but that's usually not a problem. You could, for example, book connecting flights with Aegean Airlines for Santorini - Athens and Athens - London Heathrow.

I agree with brotherleelove that with only 4-5 days you should probably stick with one island. Since you are on a budget and your daughter enjoys beaches, you may want to consider splitting your stay on Santorini between a caldera village and Perissa or Kamari, the black sand beach resorts on the other side of the island. :-)

Hi, thanks for the input. Not Gatwick because it is very far from where we will be staying, Luten being the closest. Yes, I was looking at Aegean Air for the flights,
If we do indeed decide to include another island, one that can be reached easily by ferry from Santorini, which one would you suggest?
I have booked both the hotels but the reservations can still be canceled, would like to get opinions of the hotels if anyone has heard of/stayed in them.
Heimdall, if we do stay pot in Santorini, your suggestion of staying closer to one of the beaches for the second half of the trip makes sense. Which 2 places would be recommended?

I understand what you are saying, as Luton is one of the closest airports to where I live, and easyJet used to have flights to Athens from there. Regrettably all their flights to Greece now go from Gatwick. Aegean Airlines, for a short period, had flights between Athens and Stansted (another airport on the north side of London) but moved their operation to Heathrow when they joined the Star Alliance.

Heathrow is slightly closer to the Luton area than Gatwick, but has no direct flights from the islands, so you would need a layover at Athens Airport. Gatwick has airport bus services that will take you to Luton, and the trip around the M25 motorway is only about an hour longer than from Heathrow.

If you decide on a second island with good flight connections to Athens and elsewhere, then Mykonos would be the best choice, as it has good beaches and is easy to get to from Santorini. It will be very busy then, and some people enjoy that kind of vibe. All the islands will be busy at the end of July, but if you want an island with good beaches and more of a family atmosphere, then try Naxos or Paros. Both islands have airports with short runways that can be served only by small turboprops. Seats on the flights to Athens are limited, but there are good ferry connections from Santorini and to Athens.

If you decide to stay at one of the Santorini beach resorts, I defer to brotherleelove for his advice. Lee? :-)

Focus your beach resort search on Kamari and Perissa Beaches:

http://www.santorini.com/hotels-in-santorini/kamari.htm

Thanks again, I think I am more & more inclined to do 3 nights in Santorini & 2 nights in Naxos or Paros, leaning towards Naxos but still need to do more research on that. Would rather not do Mykonos since Santorini will be crowded & am hoping to add a less busy island. Now the problem is that I am not finding flights back to London (or Athens)from either one. Even if I reverse the itinerary, I cannot find any flights from Thessoloniki to one of those two islands. What are my options for transportation to get back to London?
I was told by the family we are staying with in London to look for any airport besides Gatwick so am trying to do that!
Another area I need help with is baggage. DD will have all her luggage with her so not sure how to handle that. Not sure how to find out how much shipping it from Thessoloniki would cost. I presume we will have to go through Athens airport for all our flights, so maybe leaving it there is an option? I checked the airport website & for storage facilities they refer you to Pacific Travel. Anyone know where this would be located? Is this the same travel agency from which one can book/pick up ferry tickets at Athens aiprort??

Yes, you would have to go through Athens Airport, unless you choose ground transport from Thessaloniki to Athens. Pacific Travel at the airport is just outside the Arrivals exit, at the end of the hall to the left. Baggage storage charges are: http://www.pacifictravel.gr/baggage.html

The runways on Naxos and Paros are so short that only small 30 pax Dash 8-100 aircraft land there, flying to/from Athens. Both islands have good ferry service to Piraeus. You should be able to find non-stop flights from Athens to London with British Airways and Aegean Airlines. Check on expedia.co.uk or the airlines' own websites. Personally I prefer http://en.aegeanair.com/.

Thanks, I had planned on Aegean Air, will check BA as well. So you suggest we do the ferry to Athens & then the flight to London? Will have to coordinate the times, do the ferries usually run on time? How much time do we need to get from the ferry to the airport?

Actually I'd recommend travelling back to Athens at least a day before your flight to London, but if you are willing to take a chance, the Blue Star ferry arrives in Piraeus at 3 pm. Normally it runs on time, but sometimes there are short delays getting into Piraeus harbor. It takes about 1-1½ hours to get from Piraeus to the airport, and you need to be there at least an hour before the flight to London. I have often gone back from Paros or Naxos on that ferry, and connected with flights leaving as early as 7 pm, but that's cutting it close. Both BA and Aegean have evening flights to London. If you decide to take a same-day flight to London, recommend booking semi-flex or fully flexible so you can change your tickets if necessary. :-)

Thanks, after spending all afternoon looking/comparing flight & ferry schedules, my head is spinning! The other way we could do it is fly from Thessoloniki to Athens & take the ferry to Naxos on the same day. (Flt Dep 12.30, arriving 13.20, ferry is at 16.40, will that work?). At least missing the ferry does not seem as bad as missing the flight! Since that will take up most of the day, we would stay 3 nights in Naxos & 2 in Santorini, or maybe stay 2 nights there & take the evening ferry to Santorini. I can book the return fights on Aegean Air all the way from Santorini to London, through Athens of course. Do you think that's a better option? And how should we split the nights?

The last flight I could find out of Athens to London on Aegean is at 7.10, & as you rightly said, that would be too close!

Hi excited_confused,

Your head may be spinning, but it sounds like you are on the right track. :-) Yes, that is a viable itinerary, and I say go for it! The timetables I checked show a Hellenic Seaways highspeed leaving Piraeus at 16:55, which I guess is the one you mean. That would be my choice, as it arrives on Naxos before 9 pm. As a backup, in case your flight from Thessaloniki is delayed, Blue Star leaves Piraeus at 17:30.

The standard advice is to return to Athens at least a day before your outbound flight, and I would be irresponsible to advise otherwise. However, flying from Santorini to London by connecting flights is not much different from anywhere else, and people do that every day without a hitch. Book the two flights together, and Aegean will get you on the next available flight to London if the flight from Santorini is delayed.

Enjoy the trip with your daughter to the Greek Islands . :-)

Thanks just needed confirmation that this will work! Now moving on to the hotels. I am leaning towards Hotel Glaros in Naxos, have emailed them for confirmation.
In Santorini, I am trying to decide between Hotel Mylos or Hotel Sofia, anyone have any first hand experiences/opinions? Also, would like to spend the last night in Oia, don't mind splurging a little - for me that's upto 200 euros which I know is not really splurging by Europena standards! Would like that amazing sunset view, was thinking of Residence Hotel but I am looking for other suggestions. Thanks again for all the help.

The Residence doesn't have a sunset view. For that check Golden Sunset Villas and Marizan Villas.

We have stayed at Glaros several times. It is a family run hotel and Alex provides friendly service. The hotel apparently was renovated this winter but I do have some photos of the hotel taken over a number of stays there.
At least this will give yo an idea of location and what it used to look like.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/65008339YYjlTb

Thanks stanbr, your TR was what made me contact Hotel Glaros so thank you for the recommendation.
brotherleelove2004, thanks for pointing that out, is the sunset view different from the caldera view?
If you had to decide between the Residence & Marizan villas, which one would you choose & why? just trying to figure the pros & cons, both are similar in price.
Also, in relation to the flight/ferry from Athens to naxos, would I have to buy the ferry tickets ahead of time? And any idea how much the cab ride from the airport to the port would cost?
Thanks.

Yes, the sunset view is different from the caldera view. Most of the hotels with a caldera view face south and southeast. This map should help clarify the difference: http://www.santorini-web.com/map.pdf

There are only a few hotels located along the outside edge of the island in Oia facing west near the word "Ammoudi". Marizan is one of those.

I'd choose Marizan for the location and the view, which is much more expansive than from the Residence.

You can buy your ferry tickets at the airport from the travel desk of Amphitrion Holidays in the Arrival Hall between doors 2&3. Not sure about the taxi fare, but am guessing €40. There is an airport Express Bus, X96 for €5 from outside door 5.

Thanks again, Pacific Travel also emailed me saying they can book the ferry tickets & since I have to drop off a bag at the storage there, that might be easier.
If I buy a ticket on Aegean all the way from Santorini to London, I will have a problem checking in a bag at Athens,won't I? And if I don't, not sure if they will put us on the next flight at no charge if the flight is delayed & we have 2 separate tickets for each leg of the journey. Maybe I can call them & ask.

Just got an email from Marizan, they do not have availability for July 28th, bummer. Back to the drawing board. Should I stick with the Residence or are there any others you might recommend? looking for more of a luxury hotel than my choices so far since this will be our last night, should have amazing views. I guess it's OK if they are not of the sunset, we can go elsewhere (for dinner maybe?) to see the sunset.

If you have time to pick up your extra bag from Pacific Travel you should just be able to go to the Aegean ticket counter and check it in by presenting your ticket/boarding pass. Also, there is some sort of dedicated baggage dropoff point there. I've never used it so I don't know how it works. If you find out about it ahead of time you might be able to avoid the lines at the ticket counter.

Investing in a phone call to explore your options would be a good idea.

Some other hotels in Oia with a sunset view: Oia Castle Hotel, Esperas Houses and Fanari Villas.

Dinner at sunset: Kastro Restaurant and Pelekanos Restaurant

If you book from Santorini to London, there will be two separate flights, and as long as you have at least two hours layover between them it should be enough time to stop at Pacific Travel, retrieve your bags, and put them on the flight from London to Athens. There is a baggage drop-off point for passengers who have checked in online and already have their boarding passes.

I can't imagine there will be a problem as long as the additional bags don't take you over the baggage allowance. Athens Airport is small and very efficient. Getting from domestic arrivals to international departures won't take very long, even if you have to go to the Aegean Airlines checkin desk.

Since your daughter is already in Thessaloniki, she should be able to call Aegean for clarification. Or you could email Aegean Airlines, print out their reply, and bring it with you just in case.

Thanks all, I have emailed Aegean already, will call tomorrow if I do not hear back. DD is not in Thessoloniki yet, does not leave until June. Glad I should be able to check in the bag in Athens but the flight I was looking at only has a 50 minute layover, the next one has about 5 hours & then 7. Ideally I would book the one with the 50 minute connection if we didn't make it, Aegean would put us on their next flight which is the one with the 5 hour layover. However, if there is going to be a charge, I might be better off booking the flights with the 5 hour layover or even the next one with the 7 hour layover & maybe we can go to the town & back in that much time!
As far as hotels, I have booked Hotel Glaros for Naxos, Dana Villas in Firostefani (other choices were Hotel Sofia or Mylos but Mylos had no pool) & debating between Residence, Delfini or Lauda since Marixan is unavailable. Any opinions on my choices??
Should I book the 16.50 ferry from Athens in advance & risk losing 100 euros if the flight is delayed or should I wait until we get there?
Thanks again, can't believe all the help I have been getting!

If you are travelling out to the islands on July 24th (a Sunday), you shouldn't have a problem getting a seat on the ferry, as you will be going against the flow with most people returning from the islands that day. Still, it is high season, so pre-booking may be a good idea. If you book with Pacific Travel you can pick up the ferry tickets at the airport, or exchange them for a later ferry if that becomes necessary.

For your flights from Santorini to London, 50 minutes isn't a long enough layover even without stopping to pick up bags. Definitely book a later flight to London, and if you want to take the metro into central Athens the 7 hour layover would be better. If you haven't been to Athens before, a long layover may be a blessing in disguise. ;-)

Thanks, good point about it being Sunday. Maybe I will risk buying the tickets from Pacific Travel when I drop off the bag rather than buying ahead of time. Since the next ferry is run by a different company, the tickets cannot be exchanged for the next one, which is the last ferry for the day.
Any comments on the hotels? Still have to decide on the one in Oia, - Residence, Delfini or Lauda, Marixan being unavailable. Any cons I should know about before i decide?
Thanks!

Hey, anyone have any preference /input on the Oil hotels - Residence, Delfini or Lauda???
Thanks.

Lauda has a great view and a large pool. Delfini has a great view and a small pool. Residence has a great view but no pool. Lauda is more centrally located in Oia than the other two. You have to call Lauda for bookings. They don't book over the internet.

Thank you for stating that so simply! I called Delfini & the person I talked to asked me to email my dates etc which I did but have not heard back. I did call Lauda as well & she did not even take my name, I gave her my dates & she told me that was fine & to call a week ahead of time to confirm! I am a little nervous about that, maybe I will send a fax to confirm anyway! I guess I will take Residence off the list once I am confirmed with one of the others.

Definitely follow up at Lauda. Sometime this month the owner, Nikos, will return to Oia from his home in Athens-he may be there now-and he should be willing to take your name and confirm your room reservation.

Hi, if we take the flight with the 6-7 hour stopover in Athens, (from about 1 pm to 7pm) how can we effectively use that time? My daughter will have been to Athens but I have not, could we see the Acropolis in that much time? It will be in the afternoon, from what I have read, it is too hot to visit in the afternoon, is that right? It is a Friday so traffic might be a factor, I presume we will have to be back at the airport by 5 or 5.30 to collect our bags from storage & check them in for the next flight.

The metro takes about 45 minutes from the airport to Monastiraki in central Athens, and traffic won't be a factor. You should have enough time for a quick visit before heading back to the airport. Yes, it will be hot!

The other option would be to stay the night in Athens & take the 1.30 flight to London, If we do decide to do that, what time do you think we will have to leave the city? (Would stay at the Athens Gate hotel or similar) Trying to see if we would get enough time to visit the Acropolis in the morning before heding to the airport. Thinking of taking the evening flight from Santorini which gets in at 8.25, is it worth the stopover for that amount of time? Thanks.

You will have to check in for the London flight an hour before departure, and allow another hour to get from central Athens to the airport, so that means leaving the city by around 11:30 am at the latest. If you check out of the hotel early and leave your bags there, you will have time for a little sightseeing that morning, then go back for your bags and head to the airport. Summer hours at the Acropolis are 8 am to 8 pm, according to http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh355.jsp?obj_id=2384.

Personally I would take an earlier flight from Santorini, but that's your choice. Arrive early afternoon and you could take in the Acropolis Museum, walk around Plaka, and enjoy a meal that evening. :-)

Thanks, or take the later flight to London from Athens! Trying to get as much time everywhere as possible I guess! Since we arrive in Santorini late in the evening, that gives us two days there if we leave in the morning. Decisions, decisions!! In the meanwhile all the lower priced tickets on Aegean are getting sold out!

So to figure out how much time we need in Santorini, I need to somewhat plan what we are doing. We arrive there by the afternoon ferry (arrive 16.40)on July 26th after 2 nights in Naxos. (Which is the best place to buy those ferry tickets, should I do it through Pacific Travels as well or wait until we reach Naxos & buy them at the ferry terminal there?)
We check in at the Dana Villas, relax, maybe have a dip in the pool & then head out to Fira. Explore the town & have dinner there. The next morning we take a multitude of buses to explore the southern part of the island. Go to both the Black & Red Beach, maybe visit one of the museums. We are not early birds so I figure we would leave around 11 & be back by 5pm? Have a swim & leave the hotel after sunset, heading to town for dinner or leave earlier & have dinner at a restaurant with a view.
The next day, we check out & move to Oia. Before we get there, is it worth doing a boat tour to the Caldera & the hot springs? I saw one on one of the hotel websites, it was about 27 euros for 2 hours, forget where I saw it. Check in the Oia hotel, (TBD between Lauda or Delfini), explore the town & go somewhere for the sunset view, maybe for dinner.
Take the 11.55 flight to Athens the following day? Stay at the Athens Gate or are any of the other hotels preferable? Want to make sure there is a direct metro from the airport to whatever hotel we pick so let me know if any other hotel (budget 125 euros)works better.
The other choice would be to take the 7.40 flight from Santorini & the evening flight from Athens to Lon the next day.
How does the above plan sound??

Cannot seem to get my credit card through on the Aegean Air website & the fares keep going up. Has anyone else had any problems with a US credit card with them? Will have to call them in the morning since their offices are closed now, meanwhile the fare increases every time I check!

You might contact your credit card company to see if they're blocking the charge because it's coming from another country.

Thanks, apparently Capital One froze the a/c after I bought the Lon-Thess ticket on RyanAir. And I kept thinking that it's a problem with Aegean since the Ryanair purchase went through fine! Noe its 50 euros more per ticket. Oh well! I just cut out the night in Athens & will have the 7 hour stopover instead so we see what we can!